Splitting wedge
A splitting wedge includes at least a wedge (1), an external sleeve (3), and a wedge sleeve (2). The wedge sleeve (2) and the external sleeve (3) are connected to one another by providing one with a flange (8, 10) and the other with a groove (7, 9), the flange (8, 10) and the groove (7, 9) being substantially perpendicular with respect to a direction of motion (B) of the wedge (1), and by arranging the flange (8, 10) in the groove (7, 9).
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The invention relates to a splitting wedge comprising at least a wedge sleeve and an external sleeve, each of which consists of at least two halves, and a wedge.
It is necessary to split rock and stones e.g. in various quarries and construction sites. The methods and tools used in splitting largely depend on the scale of the work and on the manner in which the material will subsequently be utilized, since different working methods may be used for merely breaking rock into smaller pieces and for splitting rock with the aim to produce as straight cleavage faces as possible. Typically, when splitting large stones and rocks, either explosives or various wedges are utilized.
In addition to their price, many other restrictions also exist for the use of explosives. It is a demanding task to master an explosive agent method, and the use of explosives is often problematic as far as occupational safety is concerned, which is why extra procedures, such as interruption of work and building various protective constructions, are usually required. The use of explosives causes noise problems and, because the method is difficult to manage, also involves a risk of broken pieces and other loose pieces bursting over even a large area, which means restrictions for the use of explosives e.g. in the vicinity of residential areas. In addition, as far as the subsequent use of the material is concerned, the blasting method produces a lot of waste rock and the material may suffer from dark stains and discoloration caused by blasting.
For many reasons, it is advantageous to split rock by using a splitting wedge. In wedge splitting, a force is applied to the rock from within, which is quite advantageous and efficient as far as the structure of the rock is concerned. No explosives are needed in wedge splitting and, as compared to blasting, it is thus an extremely safe splitting method. In wedge splitting, it is also possible to control both the direction of splitting of the rock and the straightness of the cleavage very accurately.
In prior art hydraulic wedge solutions, however, the splitting power achieved in splitting has been limited and, in addition, the structures of the wedge solutions have typically set limitations for possible uses of wedges. Furthermore, many of the known solutions are complex and expensive to implement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved splitting wedge.
A splitting wedge according to the invention is characterized in that a lower part of the external sleeve is provided with a groove of the external sleeve and an upper part of the wedge sleeve is provided with a flange of the wedge sleeve, the groove of the external sleeve and the flange of the wedge sleeve being arranged substantially perpendicularly with respect to a direction of motion of the wedge, and wherein the wedge sleeve is connected to the external sleeve by arranging the flange in the groove, or wherein the upper part of the wedge sleeve is provided with a groove of the wedge sleeve and the lower part of the external sleeve is provided with a flange of the external sleeve, the groove of the wedge sleeve and the flange of the external sleeve being arranged substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of motion of the wedge, and the wedge sleeve is connected to the outer sleeve by arranging the flange in the groove.
An idea underlying the invention is that the wedge sleeve and the external sleeve are arranged together such that they do not become detached from one another in any position.
An advantage of the invention is that owing to the connection structure of the wedge sleeve and the external sleeve, when necessary, wedge splitting is successful in all possible positions. This is advantageous particularly when a splitting wedge is used in dangerous places and in quarries where the wedge is often connected e.g. to automatic and/or remote-controllable devices. The structure set forth in the present application also enables an efficiency better than that of the known solutions to be achieved for the wedging power. In addition, such a splitting wedge has quite a simple structure, so it is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
An idea underlying an embodiment is that a flange of the wedge sleeve or the external sleeve is provided with a shoulder and a groove of the external sleeve or the wedge sleeve is provided with a mating groove such that the shoulder is arranged in the mating groove.
An idea of a second embodiment is that the shoulder is uniform substantially over the entire length of the flange of the external sleeve or the flange of the wedge sleeve.
An idea of a third embodiment is that the shoulder is formed from one or more separate sections which protrude from the flange of the external sleeve or the flange of the wedge sleeve and which do not cover the entire length of the circumference of the flange.
An idea of a fourth embodiment is that the splitting wedge is provided with a spring structure arranged to press the halves of the external sleeve towards one another.
An idea of a fifth embodiment is that the splitting wedge is provided with an oil feed aperture and a lubrication groove for lubricating the sliding surfaces of the wedge and the wedge sleeve.
An idea of a sixth embodiment is that the wedge sleeve is provided with lubrication holes for lubricating the sliding surfaces.
Some embodiments of the invention are described in closer detail in the accompanying drawings, in which
For the sake of clarity, the figures show some embodiments of the invention in a simplified manner. In the figures, like reference numerals identify like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONAt its one end, in the embodiment of
When using the splitting wedge shown in
When the wedge 1 is pushed downwards in the figure, at the same time it pushes the halves of the wedge sleeve 2 away from one another. When the halves of the wedge sleeve 2 move away from one another, they in turn similarly push the halves of the external sleeve 3 away from one another at the lower end thereof. Thus, in the structure shown in
Further in
The principle of the embodiment of the connection structure shown in
In different embodiments, the shoulder 11, 13 shown in
Preferably, the splitting wedge may also be provided with automatic lubrication as shown in
Preferably, the splitting wedge set forth in the present application may be used for splitting e.g. stone, rock, concrete or another corresponding material. Owing to its splitting power, the wedge may be used solitarily, but wedges may also be combined in parallel, e.g. into booms of 15 to 10 wedges.
In some cases, the features disclosed in this application may be used as such, irrespective of other features. On the other hand, when necessary, the features disclosed in this application may be combined in order to produce different combinations.
The drawings and the related description are only intended to illustrate the idea of the invention. The details of the invention may vary within the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A splitting wedge, comprising:
- a wedge sleeve and an external sleeve, each of which is formed of two halves, the halves of the external sleeve being held together elastically; and
- a wedge,
- wherein either of i) a lower part of the external sleeve is provided with a groove of the external sleeve, and an upper part of the wedge sleeve is provided with a flange of the wedge sleeve, the groove of the external sleeve and the flange of the wedge sleeve being arranged substantially perpendicularly with respect to a direction of motion of the wedge, whereby the wedge sleeve is connected to the external sleeve by arranging the flange in the groove, or ii) the upper part of the wedge sleeve is provided with a groove of the wedge sleeve and the lower part of the external sleeve is provided with a flange of the external sleeve, the groove of the wedge sleeve and the flange of the external sleeve being arranged substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of motion of the wedge, whereby the wedge sleeve is connected to the external sleeve by arranging the flange in the groove,
- wherein the flange is provided with a shoulder, and the groove is provided with a mating groove such that the shoulder is arranged in the mating groove, and
- wherein, when the wedge is pushed downwards, the halves of the wedge sleeve are pushed away from one another, and correspondingly push the halves of the external sleeve away from one another at a lower end thereof.
2. The splitting wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder is uniform substantially over an entire length of a circumference of the flange of the external sleeve or the flange of the wedge sleeve.
3. The splitting wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shoulder is formed from one or more separate sections, which protrude from the flange of the external sleeve or the flange of the wedge sleeve and which do not cover an entire length of a circumference of the flange.
4. The splitting wedge as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
- a spring structure arranged to press the halves of the external sleeve towards one another.
5. The splitting wedge as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge sleeve is provided with a lubricant feed aperture and a lubrication groove for lubricating sliding surfaces between the wedge and the wedge sleeve.
6. The splitting wedge as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lubrication groove is arranged in the wedge sleeve and separated from the wedge by a piece provided with holes for feeding a lubricant from the lubrication groove to the sliding surfaces.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 19, 2009
Date of Patent: Jun 24, 2014
Patent Publication Number: 20110226228
Assignee: Kirnuvuori Oy (Vinkkila)
Inventor: Jouko Vanhatalo (Vinkkila)
Primary Examiner: Lee D Wilson
Assistant Examiner: Tyrone V Hall, Jr.
Application Number: 13/130,652
International Classification: B28D 1/32 (20060101);